


Blood Everywhere: A Homestuck Murder Mystery

by Doodled



Category: Homestuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-12
Updated: 2011-02-12
Packaged: 2017-10-15 14:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/161959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doodled/pseuds/Doodled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This takes place before the events of [S] Wake... In other words, most are alive, the main problem is Jack, Aradia is dead, etc... Also, Vriska hasn't hit god-tier, and is instead in the asteroid-lab normally.</p><p>But regardless, there's a killer on the loose in the lab!</p><p>As the trolls start dropping one-by-one, will they catch the killer before it's too late?!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Help That Never Arrived

**Author's Note:**

> Have fun deciphering this mess!
> 
> Or not. It's really kind of poor writing. I never did any revision or editing, and some of the plot points aren't precisely canon.
> 
> I actually made this before the character's started dying... How peculiar that this plot so closely parallels what actually happened...
> 
> Try to enjoy!

"You fuckiing ASTH-HOLE!"  
Sollux sends a chair flying at Eridan, hitting him soundly in the head with a (poorly-drawn) "THUNK!"  
"Who elthe diid you kiill?!"  
Sollux begins to flip the fuck out.  
Eridan is a bit nervous at the boy's rage.  
Sollux is suddenly all over him, his hands clamping firmly around Eridan's protein-chute!

...

...

Perhaps we should take a quick rewind, a-back in time.

(performs a rewinding of time)

That's better...

...

...

A law of all the universes was broken.

Done by a man eager to test his power. He was on the verge of another success, but it backfired in the end.

And now, his vision is blurring, and he begins to feel different.

But, no, another form appears, giving him hope of completing the task he was going to do so easily.

It would be harder. Much more difficult. But it'd be worth it. He does not want to see what would happen if the current transformation continued for much longer.

And thus, he enters...

...

 **A WHILE LATER...**

"NO! G---ET OUT!"

And with that, Eridan was unceremoniously booted from Feferi's respiteblock.

And he hates unceremonious things.

Especially when Vriska, Kanaya, and Sollux all happen to be walking by right at the same moment in time.

Which happened to be the case here.

"Ooooooooh, look at the failure we have here. At least some 8lackromey h8 is still availa8le with her..."

Vriska snickers, and as Eridan starts to walk away, trying to maintain his composure, Kanaya can't help but chuckle as well.

Sollux, however, is another story. He squints his eyes at the wandering Prince of Hope...

 **...and a little more later than that...**

"WHERE THE FUCK IS EVERYONE?"

Terezi and Vriska laugh at this outburst, while Kanaya tries to help Karkat with the situation.

"Karkat, You Called This Arrangement Together Merely Two Minutes Ago. A Small Allowance of Patience Would Be Helpful."

"SERIOUSLY, FUCK YOU. WHERE IS GAMZEE?!"

"He Is Relaxing In His Pile Of One-Note Instruments"

Kanaya points to the horn pile, where Gamzee, sure enough, is snoozing. Equius approaches him, rather disgusted.

The Heir of Void speaks as if Gamzee can actually hear him... Though he probably could.

"D--> How can you act like this? I'm beginning to question whether I should trust you simply from b100d..."  
"D--> Are you even paying attention?... I need a towel... Someone resting in a pile of horns is absolutely preposterous... I would never do such a thing in all my-"

Equius Zahhak flops forward into the pile of horns.

Vriska giggles from her success, as Gamzee pops open one eye to extract the fee-of-sleeping cost out of Equius's pocket.

Karkat starts shaking with rage. Sollux is calming him down, right as Tavros enters the room.

"uHH, hI EVERYBODY, sORRY I'M LATE."

Vriska's eye catches Tavros...

Tavros suddenly starts to stiffen up a bit...

"GOG-DAMN IT, DO ANY OF YOU KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE?"  
"We Were Waiting For You To Speak."

Vriska pulls out the chair next to her a bit, and motions Tavros to sit next to her.

He starts shaking like a maraca set on 300X-speed

Tavros approaches the empty chair next to Karkat, but his mind suddenly goes blank.

"FUCK, VRISKA. ARE YOU USING YOUR MIND-POWERS AGAIN?"

The Page of Breath suddenly does a fucking acrobatic pirouette over the table and into the chair next to Vriska.

He suddenly snaps back to attention and shivers in horror.

Vriska looks at him long enough to make him sink into his seat. Soon, only his horns are visible above the table.

Sollux and Terezi chuckle a bit, while Karkat and Kanaya...

 **NOT AMUSED.**

...

Regardless, in comes Nepeta.

She happily purrs, and leaps into the seat next to Karkat. Karkat shies away a bit. Nepeta stretches her legs and extends her blue retractable claws.

This unnerves Karkat even further, while Equius slowly stands from the horn pile.

He rubs the side of his head and...

*POUNCE*

gets tackleslide'd by Nepeta.

"H3H3H3H3H3..."  
"Karkat, What Again Did You Announce This Meeting For?"  
"WE'RE AT THE END OF THE FUCKING LINE HERE. SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO GO DOWN, AND WE DON'T HAVE A FLIPPING FUCK OF AN IDEA WHAT IT COULD BE."  
"We can't know for suuuuuuuure if it's 8ad or not."  
"THAT VOWEL EXTENSION WAS SO UNNECESSARY IT MAKES ME WANT TO PUKE."

Eridan saunters in.

"kar, wwhat issue to you havve to talk about noww?"  
"YOU'RE LATE, ASSWIPE."  
"Perhaps He Is Merely Timely, And The Rest Of Us Were Catastrophically Early"  
"SHUT UP, KANAYA."  
"SERIOUSLY, WHERE THE HELL IS FEFERI?"  
"Last time I saw her was when she had 8 Eridan out in her respiteblock for asking her out... Again..."

Vriska grins evilly, as Eridan hangs his head slightly.

"i... i'm a fucking idiot..."  
"YOU H4VE TH4T R1GHT! H3H3H3..."

Sollux looks a bit uneasy.

"You guyth... ii'm not thure iif Feferii iith okay..."

He suddenly flees the room. The rest of them follow.

"ii mean... Thiith iithn't liike her at all..."

Sollux is the first to arrive at Feferi's door, well before the others have even rounded the corner.

Sollux knocks on Feferi's door.

No answer.

He knocks a little harder, his hands beginning to shake.

Still nothing.

He opens the door slowly, not noticing the 8 trolls breathing into his ears from behind.

It makes a small creaking sound, and the first thing he sees is a small glimmer of violet.

Sollux's glasses fall off as his face reels back. His eyes widen.

Feferi is laying on the ground. Her googles have fallen off, revealing her shining eyes, wide open.

Just like her mouth.

The mouth that was open to scream, but silenced by the sinister object that had been pushed through her skull.

Her body lay on the floor, her torso twisted ever so slightly to the right, along with her head.

Her right hand lay on the floor, reaching out towards the door, as if calling to Sollux for help.

Help that never arrived.

The giant gash at the side of her head was visible.

As was the glimmering violet blood that slowly dripped from the wound, leaving a strange contrast to the bland, yet clean floor.

Emotions rushed at once, and yet no movement did.

She was dead.

There was no doubt. No possibility or hope of saving her life. Her life that had been filled with potential before being pulled away by the atrocity of SGrub.

The game that Sollux had introduced to them.

Sollux was the first to move, as he quickly excused himself from the room.

The rest of the trolls, now including the ever-sleepy Gamzee, just stared.

Terezi suddenly took charge of the situation, realizing what needed to be done.

She actually smiled.

"3V3RYBODY OUT! TH1S 1S 4 CR1M3 SC3N3! NO TROLL M4Y D1STURB TH3 3V1D3NC3!"

Slowly but surely, the remaining trolls filed out.

"NO W41T, ST4Y H3R3 K4RK4T..."

Her pulsating eyes disturbed Karkat, as they were deadly-in-contrast to the dead sea-troll that was lying on the floor.

"W3 H4V3 OURS3LV3'S 4 MYST3RY!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And look at what just switched to past-tense...
> 
> Don't worry, it'll stay in past-tense for the rest of the story.
> 
> :)


	2. Matched in Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terezi and Karkat investigate, while Nepeta goes to cheer up a friend...

"BLUH!"

"WH4T?! 1T'S JUST BLOOD!"  
"YOU N33D TO C4LM DOWN..."  
"TRY SOM3?"

"THAT IS THE WORST... THING YOU COULD'VE OFFERED ME... I'M... UGH... I'M ABOUT TO PUKE... FUCK...

"H3H3H3H3...

...

COM3 ON K4RK1TT3N, 1 F1ND PURPL3 BLOOD 4LMOST 4S T4STY 4S R3D..."

"YOU SICK FUCK. FEFERI IS DEAD AT OUR FEET, AND YOU'RE SHITTING AROUND TASTING HER BLOOD?!"

Terezi then realized that it was time to get serious.

"F1N3, 1'LL G3T DOWN TO 1NV3ST1G4T1NG..."  
"YOU DO THAT."

Suddenly, a sharp pain had entered the side of Karkat's thigh.

He looked down to see Nepeta, shiny-eyed and with blue claws lightly sunken into his pant leg.

"DO I HAVE A SIGN ON MY BACK THAT SAYS "PLEASE ANNOY THE SHIT OUT OF ME, I FEEL LIKE HAVING MY SHIT BRUTALLY AND PAINFULLY DEVOURED FROM ANNOYANCE OUT OF ME TODAY?!""  
":33< not really."  
"OR MAYBE A "PLEASE DIG YOUR CLAWS INTO MY LEG AND TEAR OUT ALL OF MY INTERNAL ORGANS" SIGN?!"  
":33< nope."  
"THEN WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE? DIDN'T TEREZI TELL YOU TO SCRAM?"  
";33< i'm here to make sure you two don't get into anything... purrverse."

Karkat sighed, making sure to not look too embarrassed. Nepeta looked pleased with herself, even if it didn't make any sense within the context of the situation.

At least she had let go of him.

"LEAVE, NEPETA. GO CHASE SOME DIRT-LICKING MOUSE."  
":33< i'm staying right here!"  
"1T'S OK4Y K4RK4T."

Terezi stood up.

"1 H4V3 TH3 3V1D3NC3... H3H3H3."  
"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?"  
"NOTH1NG, JUST SOM3TH1NG FROM TH4T D4V3 K1D..."  
"..."  
"WELL?"  
"W3LL WH4T?"  
"WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT?"  
"JUST TRUST M3 K4RK4T."  
"WELL SHIT, THAT'S NOT SUSPICIOUS AT ALL."  
"S3R1OUSLY, YOU'LL F1ND OUT SOON 3NOUGH..."

Terezi boldly exited the room, followed by the other two.

Terezi and Karkat quickly transportalized to the main room.

Nepeta stood on the transportalizer, but quickly jumped off.

She had heard a noise - a faint noise, but a noise no doubt - coming from another part of the structure.

She walked carefully in that direction, and the noise became clearer.

After turning a corner, she recognized the sound as sobbing.

Rounding a corridor, she spotted Sollux.

He was sitting against the wall, his body tucked into a ball. His face was buried into his knees.

As she cautiously approached him, she noticed a small pool of yellow-tinted liquid forming around his lower body.

Sollux was crying. Weeping.

Mourning.

He knew she was there, but he didn't care.

He just mumbled on about Feferi... And Aradia...

The two people he cared about most... Gone... In only a few hours...

He started rocking forwards and side-ways and flip-ways until he finally toppled over in a destroyed heap.

Nepeta crouched down and starting pawing at his face, trying to cheer him up...

But no, Sollux just flipped over to face the wall,

and cry.

His shoes were matched in yellow tint.

Nepeta couldn't help it. Green tears came to her eyes as well.

The sadness seemed to unite the two.

They allowed themselves to dissolve into tears of anguish.

As they blubbered and bawled aimlessly into the night...

They fell asleep.


	3. Liquid Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trolls begin to turn on one another.
> 
> Someone else dies.

"HoNk."

"SHUT UP, GAMZEE."  
"H3H3H3H3H3..."  
"uHH, kARKAT, wHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?"  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

The ten remaining trolls, minus Sollux and Nepeta, had gathered in the main room.

"Feferi Has Lost All Biological Signs Of Health Due To A Heinous Murder"  
"Tavros Was Merely Asking What We Will Do To Avenge Her"  
"THAT'S TEREZI'S DUTY, BUT SHE'S SHITTING ON THE JOB AGAIN."

Tavros randomly guffawed. It seemed to be extremely uncharacteristic of him.

Suddenly, he clamped his hands over his mouth and nervously glanced over at Vriska, who was cackling with delight.

"FUCK, VRISKA! STOP DOING THAT TO HIM! WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME SERIOUS FUCKING BUSINESS!"  
"H3H3H3... Y3S, VR1SK4. 1 H4V3 4N 1D34…"

Terezi paused.

And remained paused.

"D--> Please do not keep us waiting in such an e%cruciating manner…“  
"ter, tell us, wwill you?"  
"4LR1GHT! J3GUS..."  
"LeTs AlL mOtHeRfUcKiNg ChIlL, gUyS."

Terezi began pacing, while staring down the other trolls.

It was good fun.

"YOU 4LL PROB4BLY R3M3MB3R TH3 WOUND. 1T L34K3D 4N 3XOT1C FL4VOR OF BLOOD 4LL OV3R TH3 FLOOR.”

Terezi was sure to say this right into Karkat’s ear. He shuddered, and Terezi smiled.

"1T W4S 4 L4RG3 CUT, BUT TH3 BLOOD W4S CONTROLL3D 1N SUCH 4 W4Y…"

“TH4T WHO3V3R D1D 1T MUST’V3 COLL3CT3D BLOOD FROM F3F3R1’S BODY!”

Silence. Tavros shifted his feet, accidentally honking one of Gamzee’s horns.

"NOW, WHO H3R3 WOULD B3 TH4T OBS3SS1V3 W1TH BLOOD?"  
"Karkat doesn’t like 8lood on the floors…”  
”SHUT THE FUCK UP, VRISKA. IF ANYTHING, THIS MEANS I’M IN THE CLEAR…”

Karkat quickly slammed his mouth shut, hoping nobody would question that.

Luckily for him, Terezi moved on.

"BUT WHO DO W3 KNOW TH4T COLL3CTS BLOOD?"

Silence. This time, however, everyone came to the same conclusion:

Nepeta.

"uHH, dOES ANYBODY KNOW WHERE SOLLUX IS?"

Without a word, everybody got up and dashed towards the transportalizer.

They knew that Nepeta and Sollux were down there. Alone.

 _If he’s dead…_ Karkat thought to himself.

 _I’ll never forgive myself._

They arrived where all the rooms were. They didn’t know where to go from there.

"We Must Scatter And Search The Premises!”

Kanaya went down one way, everyone else ran some other way, and so on.

Karkat ran down a hallway. He heard soft noises in the right direction.

He turned a corner of the corridors…

to find Nepeta holding her razor-sharp claws to Sollux’s neck.

“SOLLUX! WAKE UP!”

Karkat sprinted down the corridor at full-speed. Nepeta looked up.

She shrieked suddenly and tried to defend herself from the approaching Karkat.

He tackled her as hard as he could.

In the commotion, Sollux stirred and woke up.

Nepeta angrily yelled and screeched, trying to force Karkat off of her.

It was Sollux that finally did.

"What’th the matter with you, karkat?!”  
"I JUST SAVED YOUR FUCKING LIFE! SHE WAS ABOUT TO KILL YOU!”

Nepeta whimpered a little.

":3(< i was just trying to wake him up!"  
"theriiouthly, back off, Karkat!"

Karkat could not believe what he was hearing.

Footsteps ran up to him from behind. It was Terezi.

"WH4T’S GO1NG ON H3RE?"

Nepeta was sobbing, and Karkat’s fist was in a threatening position.

Nepeta ran off towards the transportalizer, while Terezi gave Karkat a stern look.

"TH4T W4SN’T V3RY N1C3…"

Karkat couldn’t say a word. He stayed behind as everyone else went back to the main room, and he wondered how everyone’s opinion could change so damn fast…

===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---

Sollux was the 3rd-to-last to enter the main room. As he did, something suddenly clicked in his head.

A memory.

 _"NO! G---ET OUT!"_

 _Eridan…_

 _"Ooooooooh, look at the failure we have here. At least some 8lackromey h8 is still availa8le with her..."_

Feferi had rejected Eridan right before she died.

It all made sense to Sollux.

 **Moments Later…**

And we’re back where we started…

Sollux throttled Eridan by the neck with his bare hands. Eridan was putting up a fruitless fight.

Sollux noticed a sharp knife nearby. Without hesitation, he made it levitate into his right hand.

Eridan had squirmed away, while everyone else just stared.

Sollux backed Eridan into a corner, where Eridan was shaking in fear.

Sollux lifted the knife over his head

But something stopped him.

Vriska stood behind him, concentrating with all her might to make him drop the knife.

Sollux fought back, bringing the knife ever closer to Eridan.

Eridan suddenly made a dash for the other side of the room.

Sollux’s glasses feel off, revealing both of his eyes reddening with rage!

"D--> I hate to interrupt, but why do I count only nine heads?"  
”YOU DIDN’T COUNT YOURSELF, NUMBNUTS.”

Karkat was the last to enter the room.

"ReAlLy, I oNlY sEe NiNe ToO…"

Suddenly, Vriska shouted:

"KANAYAAAAAAAA!”

Vriska leaped up and raced out of the room.

All but Nepeta followed.

Vriska stopped to let Terezi take the lead, but once the direction was pointed out, she took the lead.

Vriska busted down the door to her own respiteblock.

And there she found Kanaya.

Sitting. On the floor.

Dead.

Her jade-flavored blood poured down the side of her neck, creating a horrible puddle of liquid terror.

The wind from the opening respiteblock door caused the sitting corpse to topple over, splashing into the puddle, creating an arc of blue-green.

Vriska complemented the movement with a tinted-blue tear of her own.

As the tear hit the floor, Vriska couldn't stand it any longer.

Vriska walked away without a word, her head down.

The others filed away, except for Terezi.

”K4RK4T… COM3 B4CK… 1 DON’T W4NT TO B3 4LON3."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As weird as it may seem...
> 
> I actually wrote this before it happened in canon.
> 
> o_O


	4. The Air Chilled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short section of moiraillegence, sadness, and terror.

Some of them trolled on as if nothing had happened.

As if they had forgotten.

The end of the countdown had gotten their attention, and their time-line began to run linear to the kids'.

But some of them would never forget.

Feferi and Kanaya were gone, their bodies already lifted up and stored someplace cold.

Terezi and Karkat had stayed behind to investigate Kanaya's deathplace within Vriska's room.

Nepeta tagged along.

 _Nepeta._

The thought could not stay within Sollux's mind for long.

While Vriska had stopped her outward mourning quickly, Sollux would never be able to shake his thoughts.

Of Aradia exploding.

Of Feferi's glistening blood dripping to the clean floor.

 _shiit..._

Sollux silently excused himself to join the investigators.

"D-->That is an e%plicit lack of manners... But feel I must a100w it..."  
"You dum8ass... You'll neeeeeeeever understand..."  
"SERIOUSLY, SHUT THE FUCK UP VRISKA, OR A FUCKING RAGE-SNAKE THE SIZE OF MY TORSO WILL COME FLYING OUT MY ASS!

Karkat had returned.

To Vriska, he always seemed to return right when he could rage at somebody.

Suddenly, Gamzee jumped up out of his seat, started to fall over, then righted himself.

"I hAvE tO sLaM a MoThErFuCkInG fAyGo, GuYs. SeE yA."

Gamzee stumbled away from the computer room.

The trolls continued to troll the kids, with occasional shouts of rage and laughter littering the silence.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nepeta felt alone.

Karkat had left.

His frequent insults toward her had really made her smile...

She was a bit envious of Terezi for this.

Nepeta wanted to be Karkat's matesprit. She really did.

But at least she was still safe. Sollux had arrived.

Earlier, Karkat had demanded that they stay in groups of 3 if they went anywhere, to make sure that nobody else died.

Naturally, nobody listened to him, but at least Nepeta was in a group of three...

"what'th goiing on, Nepeta?"  
:33"*ac bounces happily at the new arrival*"  
"you know, ii can thee you. you don't have to announthe everythiing that you do."  
":33 oh, right. i knew that! it's a purrfect rule that i can follow!"

Sollux chuckled. Nepeta was such a nice troll...

":33 thanks!"

 _oh, what the fuck?!_

 _I've got to stop thinking out loud..._

Nepeta giggled, as Terezi stood up from her examination.

"SH3 GOT KN1F3D. 1 C4N'T F1GUR3 OUT 4NYMOR3 TH4N..."

Something in the air chilled.

A loud

"AaAaAaAaAaAaAeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeUuUuUgH!"

 _GAMZEE!_

The three trolls hurried towards the scream, hoping that it wasn't too late.


	5. Trickled Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...aaaaaand Vriska's still screwing around with Tavros's mind. :P

"Okay"

is highly subjective.

Nevertheless, when Nepeta, Sollux, and Terezi had arrived in the hall, they deemed Gamzee to be "okay."

His entire right arm was blown off, strawberry-flavored Faygo being split all over the floor, alongside his deep, indigo blood.

His eyes were open wide, still having trouble believing what had happened.

As his blood continued to drip continuously onto the floor from the cavity in his nubb'd arm, the other 8 trolls looked on in silence.

Finally, Nepeta spoke.

":33 < get some LEEEEEEEEEAVES!''

She shoo'd Equius to the respiteblock of the late Kanaya Maryam, where medical supplies were sure to be held.

Terezi attempted to get some information from the frightened Gamzee, but no words came out. He was clearly shocked to the point of being unable to act laid-back.

The next seconds ached on too long for everyone, as another drop of blue-purple blood wet the floor upon impact.

"EQUIUS, WHAT THE FUCK IS TAKING SO LONG?!"  
"uHH, kARKAT, i DON'T THINK HE CAN HEA-"

Suddenly, Tavros stiffened up.

He proceeded to screech in laughter before slapping himself around and tugging at his own horns.

Vriska cackled.

"VRISKA, GOG-DAMN IT. I TOLD YOU TO STOP SCREWING AROUND WITH HIS MIND!"

Seconds went by.

Then a minute.

"W3 SHOULD PROB4BLY L4Y G4MZ33 DOWN, K4RKL3S."  
"DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT."

It was troublesome without Equius being STRONG, but the trolls managed to lay Gamzee down.

"if eq takes much longer, gam wwill be as good as..."

Terezi punched Eridan in the arm. Hard.

"and you'd be fiine wiith that, wouldn't you, Eriidan?”  
"i swwear, if you're still insinuating that i..."

"3R1D4N! SOLLUX! SHUT UP!"  
"BOTH OF YOU!"

As Terezi continued in calming Gamzee down, Nepeta was becoming visibly nervous.

"Wh8t's the maaaaaaaatter, Nepeta?”

Karkat stood up. He realized something.

 _We just left Equius alone..._

"OH FUCK!"

Karkat led the way of what had become rather repetitive by this time.

The trolls followed Karkat through the halls of the asteroid, eventually happening upon Kanaya's respiteblock.

Vriska stayed back.

The memories were too... distressing...

Karkat burst through the door, nub-horns first.

He wish he hadn't.

For there, pinned to the wall, was Equius.

Pinned by a sword. A nasty gash spread across Equius's midsection.

His deep blue blood trickled down, staining the sword.

The sword already stained by a lighter color of blue, and a dazzling shade of violet.

Vriska and Sollux walked away almost immediately, quickly followed by Eridan and Tavros.

Nepeta just stood and stared.

She shook a bit, causing her cat-hat to brush her hair.

She shook again, for the good feeling of the brushing hat.

Nepeta walked into the room, avoiding all eye contact with the corpse. She grabbed the medical supplies, then silently walked out of the room.

An emerald tear had come floating down her cheek.

Terezi had already walked up to examine the sword, but Karkat stood back.

He just couldn't take it. He was the leader, right? And now...

Karkat walked away.

Terezi was alone.

 _All alone._

Before, she had never really despised the feeling, as she had all the control that she wanted: Her rope could lynch all the dragons that she wanted to, and her words could manipulate anyone else.

She was always in control, but not now.

She knew she had to stay though, so she pulled out her cane, and thwacked it against her palm.

It would have to do.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The "leaves" were successfully used on Gamzee, who, while alive, looked to be nearly brain-dead.

Of course, he had always seemed that way before.

It was more of a "spirit-dead", if not anything else.

Sollux glared at Eridan with all of his might, with Vriska, amazingly, trying to stop any unnecessary violence.

Despite her oddly peace-keeping attitude, Tavros huddled in a corner as far away from her as possible.

Nepeta noticed that Karkat was still missing.

She left the main room, walking towards Karkat's respiteblock.

A cord seemed to appear right in front of her

and as she tripped, a whistle went through the air...

A stringy trap came down upon Nepeta, scooped her up, and attached her to the wall!

A menacing laugh came from the darkness as Nepeta struggled fruitlessly against the contraption that held her captive.

It was no use. A figure came walking up to her, brandishing a knife...

She tried to scream, but no words came out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUN.


	6. Breaking Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nepeta. Lots of it.
> 
> Enjoy. :)
> 
> Oh, wait, she's about to die.
> 
> O_O

_A web._

Nepeta was trapped in...

A web. Of spider thread.

A spider's web.

 _Vriska!_

The figure brandishing the knife emerged from the shadows...

Nepeta's eyes opened in shock...

She just...

Couldn't...

How...

...

...

It was...

...

...  
...  
...  
...  
...  
...  
...  
...

Terezi.

 _Terezi is the..._

 _She..._

 _killed..._

Nepeta felt weak. Too weak to extend her claws to salvage any chance of escaping from the situation.

Terezi started laughing maniacally.

"H3LLO, S1LLY C4T G1RL!"  
"W3LCOM3 TO YOUR DOOM!"

Terezi laughed again. Loudly.

 _Maybe the others will hear hurr... I just got to distract her! Just gotta pawall her!_

“:3( < Why are you doing this?! Why?!''

Terezi lifted the knife to Nepeta's neck.

Nepeta suddenly realized...

It wasn't a knife. It was merely Terezi's cane.

"YOU KNOW V3RY W3LL WHY!"  
"YOU H4V3 B33N S3TT1NG YOUR G4Z3 ON K4RKL3S FOR TOO LONG!"

Nepeta froze even stiffer. Terezi had her there...

Nepeta started panicking, as Terezi pulled a knife from her cane.

"4ND NOW YOU W1LL P4Y!"

Nepeta screamed.

The knife came closer and closer.

Closer.

It brushed Nepeta's neck, and she could not continue her screaming.

Even worse, Terezi had been covering her mouth.

No help could arrive.

 _No! Please no!_

 _Why does this have to be the end?_

 _No! I don't want to die!_

 _Please!_

 _I don't want to die!_

 _I want to see Karkat one more time!_

 _To tell him how I feel!_

 _And Sollux too!_

 _I want to be his moirail!_

 _Why?!_

 _WHY???_

 _Why do I have to die?! Please no..._

 _No..._

 _NOOOOOOOOOOO-_

 

 

  
Terezi...

laughed.

And lowered the knife.

Nepeta caught herself a bit, and started screaming into Terezi's hand.

She bit down with her teeth, and Terezi NAK'd her on the head with her cane.

Nepeta, dazed, could do nothing but listen.

"C4LM DOWN N3P3T4! GOG!"

"H3H3H3H3H3H3!"

“:33 < Wha..."

She could speak again.

"1 GOT YOU GOOD TH4T T1M3, D1DN'T 1?"

Nepeta was stunned.

 _Wha?!... That was..._

"VR1SK4 4CTU4LLY H3LP3D M3 S3T 1T UP,

C4N YOU B3L13V3 TH4T?"

After a moment's pause, Nepeta regained enough of her composure to speak again.

“>:3( < "THAT WASN'T VERY NICE!!!"

Terezi stopped laughing.

She grew solemn, and quickly became ashamed of herself.

"1... 1...

1'M SORRY..."

Terezi brandished the knife again, this time in a friendlier way.

As she approached Nepeta again, this time to cut her free, she stopped.

A sly look appeared on her face.

"SO YOU _DO_ H4V3 RED F33L1NGS FOR K4RKL3S, HUH?"

Nepeta's eyes widened, and her face quickly turned from rage to embarrassment.

She painfully tried to argue.

“:33 < um... no..."

Terezi cackled.

Nepeta shuddered.

"1 KN3W 1T! H3H3H3H3H3..."

Nepeta looked down, almost ashamed.

"NO, NO, W41T, N3P3T4..."  
"1'M NOT M4D OR 4NYTH1NG..."

Nepeta suffered whiplash as her head flipped upwards.

She was certainly confused!

"HON3STLY, 1 N3V3R R34LLY H4D FLUSH3D F33L1NGS FOR H1M."

Nepeta's still-continuing habits caused her to twitch.

 _Now I gotta fix that spot on my wall..._

"OR M4YB3 1 D1D, 4ND DON'T 4NYMOR3."  
"WH4T3V3R."

Nepeta stuttered a bit, trying to figure this all out...

"SO Y34H N3P3T4. YOU GO FOR K4RKL3S! 1'LL B3 ROOT1NG FOR YOU..."

Terezi slashed at Nepeta's bindings with two big slashes.

Nepeta fell to the floor unceremoniously, only barely being saved by her feline instincts.

Before she could thank, scold, or question Terezi further, she disappeared.

Terezi had started walking back towards the transportalizer to the main room.

Wondering if she had done the right thing.

Nepeta starting walking hurriedly to the transportalizer as well, hoping to catch up with Terezi.

Halfway there, though, she heard a familiar sound.

She had heard it before, not too long ago.

It sounded...

Bad.

She walked slowly in the direction of the sound, to confirm its source...

“:3( < someone's crying... sollux?''

Nepeta hurried down two turns in the corridors of the inner meteor until she finally arrived...

to see...

Karkat.

He wasn't raging.

No, he was sobbing.

In a corner. By himself.

Just...

Sitting...

And crying...

He wasn't not-raging for long, as he quickly saw Nepeta.

"GO AWAY, FUCKASS."

The rush of tickled-fancy that went through Nepeta was cut short.

Something had hit the floor.

A tear.

Nepeta gasped a little too loudly.

It was tinted bright red!

Karkat looked from the tear to the feline-wearer standing a few feet away.

"YEAH. I HAVE FUCKING CANDY BLOOD... I'M A FUCKING MUTANT, OKAY?!?!?"

Nepeta was as disconcerted by this revelation as anyone, but she was brought down by Karkat's mood.

Nepeta approached Karkat, then quickly huddled beside him.

Karkat looked up at Nepeta, a look of disgust appearing in his eye, but nothing else to show for it.

Nepeta purred softly into his ear.

It calmed him, for a reason that disturbed him.

“:33 < what's the matter, karkat?'  
"WHAT...  
IS...  
THE MATTER?!??!"

All his signature rage came back to him at full force.

"I'M SUPPOSED TO BE THE LEADER  
OF A BUNCH OF HALF-WITS AND PSYCHOPATHES  
WHO ARE ALL DOOMED TO FAIL IN THE FIRST PLACE!  
OUR SPECIES IS ALMOST AS EXTINCT AS VRISKA'S SANITY,  
AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF, THE ONLY TROLLS WHO CAN EVEN BE CONSIDERED TO BE MY "FRIENDS"  
ARE NOW BEING DEAD ALL OVER THE FUCKING PLACE!"

Karkat slumped down the wall.

His voice quieted, but his voice still contained the rage.

"I...  
I'VE FAILED THEM.  
I'VE BECOME A FUCKING FAILURE.  
LIKE ERIDAN IS AT EVERYTHING.  
GOG.  
FUCKING.  
DAMN.  
IT.  
FUCK!"

Karkat's voice slipped into becoming incomprehensible, before finally breaking down into blubbering.

He sobbed, and Nepeta felt a bit of deja vu...

She embraced Karkat.

Strong enough to make Equius proud.

Karkat began sobbing and trembling even harder.

Nepeta became worried, but she shouldn't have.

Karkat was opening up to her.

More than just a little bit.

Nepeta began to cry with Karkat a little bit.

 _Oh no... Not this again..._

She didn't really want to relive this again...

So she did something different.

She kissed him.

Right on the lips.

Karkat was stunned.

More than stunned.

His open eyes revealed the battle between rage and happiness happening within him.

Nepeta stood up, wiped away one last emerald tear, then walked off towards the transportalizer.

Karkat could only think of one thing...

 _...matesprit...?_

Karkat sank back down into the uncomfortable wall, and thought...

"H3H3H3H3H3..."

 _OH FUCK._

"H3Y K4RKL3S."

How long had she been standing there?!

"HOW LO-"

"1'V3 B33N ST4ND1NG H3R3 LONG 3NOUGH, K4RK4T."

"SHIT."  
"I..."  
"I CAN EXPLA-"

"NO N33D, K4RK4T."  
"YOU L1K3 H3R, DON'T YOU?"  
"4DM1T 1T."

Karkat stuttered, and was truly unable to respond.

"YOU DO... YOU R34LLY DO..."

Karkat tried to step towards Terezi, to try to explain what had happened...

"1T'S F1N3! 1T R34LLY 1S!"

Karkat stopped in his tracks.

"WH-...WHAT?!"

"K4RK4T, 1F YOU H4V3 R3D F33L1NGS FOR N3P3T4, 1'M NOT GO1NG TO G3T 1N YOUR W4Y..."

"B3S1D3S, W3 W3R3 N3V3R R34LLY TOG3TH3R, R1GHT?"

There was so much that Karkat wanted to correct.

He wasn't sure what to feel about Nepeta, but he sure as shit that he didn't want to lose Terezi.

Before he could collect his thoughts and recite them in a well-organized rage-rant, Terezi was gone.

Already.

 _FUCKING._

 _NEPETA._

 _..._

 _GOG.  
FUCKING.  
DAMNIT._

 _..._

Then again, maybe he did like her...

Which is why, when he heard her yell in terror,

anything that wasn't saving her life was pushed out of his brain.

 _SHIT! SHIT!_

 _NOT AGAIN!_

 _FUCK!_


	7. Dead.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can hear you now. "Dead?! Who's dead?!"
> 
> Well, why don't you just read and found out, ya little nook-sniffer?

  
"HORR1BL3?!"

The remaining trolls were still gathered in the computer room.

Gamzee's wound had healed moderately...

But without Equius, there would be no hope for another right arm...

"yeah, you're a horriible thleuth."

"TH4T'S NOT-"

"the kiiller ith riight here, and you are jutht doiing NOTHIING!!!"

Tavros looked up, half-expecting Sollux to have just confessed to the murders.

But no. He was pointing right at Eridan.

"oh okay, fine, Sol. you just blame me for evverything, don't you?"  
"and you call ME ovver-dramatic..."

Sollux twitched in anger. Vriska instinctively prepared her mind to telepathically settle him down...

But her concentration was in the wrong place.

"i'vve about had it wwith you, sol!"  
"your accusations havve gone too far."

Eridan pulled out a legendary piece of shit.

"ThIs Is GeTtInG mOtHeRfUcKiNg CrAzY, mAn. We NeEd To CaLm DoWn..."

Eridan aimed the rifle at Sollux.

"meet ahab's crosshairs, you bipolar wwaste of time!"

Nepeta screamed out in terror, but Sollux was still under Vriska's spell.

He could not move.

Nepeta bolted towards Sollux, tackling him just in time to avoid the incoming blast!

It hit the wall with great force, causing the whole facility to shake, and obliterating the computer of the late Equius Zahhak.

Vriska and Terezi ran over to Eridan, where they struggled over the rifle.

It quickly fell from their grasp, landing just out of reach of Tavros's hands.

Before he could pick it up, however, it started floating.

It started levitating.

It floated right into Sollux's hands.

He took aim.

"you kiilled feferii, diidn't you?"

"you kiilled them all."

"feferii, equiius, kanaya..."

"even aradiia, ii know you diid!"

"they all had the relatiionthips that you only wiithed you could have."

"you hated them for iit, and when feferii deniied you, you dethided to thtrike back."

"ii don't know why nobody thuthpected you. vriithka can vouch for what happened..."

"but, you're goiing to diie now."

"thiis wiill all be over."

"good-bye, asth-hole."

The other trolls looked on in shocked silence.

Eridan stared, wide-eyed, at his own rifle glaring back at him.

He probably had learned his lesson, but there would not be another cha-

 _HONK!_

Tavros accidentally stepped on one of Gamzee's horns.

Sollux whipped his head around to glare at him with rage!

Eridan, slowly, began to...  
 **  
RUN AWAY AS FAST AS HE FUCKING COULD!!!**

Sollux turned back around.

"oh no, you're not gettiing away that eathily, fuck-asth!"

Sollux fired the beam at the fleeing Eridan.

The monstrous beam of energy slammed into Eridan at full force, pushing him even farther down the hallway.

With a thunderous crash, the facility rumbled, and distant debris began to fall.

 _Eridan._

 _He's dead._

The trolls thought through this slowly, as Karkat raged into the room.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN HERE?!"

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE TAINTCHAFFING-GRUB HAPPENED?!"

"THE SCREAMING AND THE QUAKES! SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE FU-"

Before he could finish, the situation had become clear.

The rifle in Sollux's hand was still glowing at the tip.

Eridan was nowhere to be seen.

"SOLLUX, DID YO-"

"HeY mOtHeRfUcKeR, yOu MaY wAnT tO mOtHeRfUcKiNg ChIlL..."

Steam came out of Karkat's face in the most horrifyingly literal way.

"H3Y K4RKL3S, C4N 1 T4LK TO YOU FOR 4 MOM3NT?"

Talking to Terezi was simultaneously the first and last thing Karkat wanted to do, but Terezi grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him off.

Nepeta longed to follow, but something deep inside her told her that she shouldn't.

"sO, uHH, iS HE DEAD?"

"yeth, tavroth..."

Sollux whipped off his glasses in the coolest, most hard-boiled way he could think of.

"the kiiller ith dead..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: This was written at the exact time of the Sollux vs. Eridan duel.
> 
> No joke.
> 
> :)
> 
> Also, there's more, so Sollux wasn't really correct...
> 
> Or was he...


	8. Their Near Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat still struggles within the love triangle he trapped himself in.
> 
> Gog.
> 
> Why can't he just worry about the killer on the loose...

**NAK!**

to the back of the head.

That's what it required to keep Karkat moving forward.

Finally, once they had walked two rooms away, the angry mutant-blood whipped around to face Terezi.

"LOOK, FUCKASS, WHY DO YOU EVEN WANT TO TALK WITH ME?"

"I THOUGHT YOU SAID WE WEREN'T MATESPRITS ANYMORE..."

"TH4T'D B3 1NF3RR1NG TH4T W3 W3R3 3V3R M4T3SPR1TS 1N TH3 F1RST PL4C3."

Karkat paused, astonished.

"W...WERE WE?!"

"M4YB3."

"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS BULLSHIT."  
"I'M STEAMING OUT MY EARS, AND ALL I WANT TO DO IS GIVE THAT ASSHOLE A PIECE OF MY MIND!"  
"JEGUS! I MEAN "JESUS", FUCK!"

"1ND33D."  
"YOU'R3 G3TT1NG TO B3 4 LOT 4NGR13R TH4N USU4L L4T3LY..."

"SOLLUX JUST FUCKING SHOT ERIDAN!"  
"SURE, SOLLUX IS MY FRIEND, AND ERIDAN'S AN ASSHOLE,"  
"BUT WE'VE BEEN LOSING TOO MANY TROLLS AS IT IS!"

"K4RKL3S..."

"DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT!"

"...K4RK4T,"  
"1 UND3RST4ND TH3 STR3SS."  
"W3'R3 4LL GO1NG THROUGH 1T..."  
"BUT SOLLUX 1S N4TUR4LLY MOR3 QU1CK W1TH H1S ANG3R."  
"3V3N MOR3 SO TH4N YOU..."

"HE SHOT ERIDAN."  
"WITH A GIANT BLAST OF ENERGY."  
"FROM HIS OWN FUCKING GUN."  
"SOLLUX IS FUCKING INSANE, AND I'M THE LEADER, SO I HAVE TO TELL THAT SHIT-HEAD THE TRUTH..."

"K4RK4T!"  
"H3'S YOUR FR13ND, 1 THOUGHT..."

"YEAH, AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE MINE..."

"LOOK, K4RK4T..."  
"SOLLUX THOUGHT TH4T 3R1D4N W4S TH3 K1LL3R, SO H-"

"HE KILLED HIM BACK."  
"YES, THAT IS QUITE POSSIBLY THE MOST EFFECTIVE PLAN OF ACTION,"  
"AND IS IN NO WAY COUNTER-INTUITIVE WHATSOEVER.  
THE AUDIENCE IN ATTENDANCE SOBS AT THE WONDERFUL DISPLAY  
OF OUTRIGHT, SHIT-BRAINED IDIOCY."

"YOU DO H4V3 4 PO1NT..."

"BUT 1T'S NOT QU1T3 TH3 ON3 YOU'R3 TH1NK1NG OF..."

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!?!"

"1T M34NS...

1 DON'T TH1NK TH4T SOLLUX W4S R1GHT 4BOUT 3R1D4N..."

Karkat began to tense up a bit in an entirely different way.

The air seemed to chill.

"THEN... YOU MEAN..."

"THE KILLER IS STILL OUT THERE?!"

"IN THE COMPUTER ROOM?!?!"

Terezi nodded solemnly.

"4ND 1 H4T3 TO BR34K 1T TO YOU, BUT..."

"CONS1D3R1NG 4LL OF TH3 3V1D3NC3, 4S W3LL 4S 4 R3C3NT D1SCOV3RY..."

"1 TH1NK TH3 K1LL3R M1GHT B3..."

"...N3P3T4."

Karkat twitched with fear!

But then... Slowly...

His eyebrows began to lower.

"YOU'V3 PROB4BLY B33N 1N H3R R3SP1T3BLOCK... 1 M34N, 1'M NOT S4Y1NG YOU H4V3, OR 4NYTH1NG, BUT..."

"SH3'S B33N K33P1NG 4 SH1PP1NG W4LL 1N TH3RE..."

"4ND, FOR 3V3RY MURD3R, 4 LOT OF BLOOD 1S M1SS1NG FROM TH3 BODY 1N QU3ST1ON."

"N3P3T4 US3D UP SO MUCH P41NT WH3N W3 GOT H3R3, TH4T 1 H4D TO H1D3 TH3 R3ST..."

"TH3 STUFF TH4T I HID3D H4SN'T B33N TOUCH3D, BUT SH3'S STILL B33N UPD4T1NG H3R SH1PP1NG W4LL!"

"SO, TH1S M34NS TH-"

Karkat held up a hand.

It wasn't the hand, but his tightly wound face that caused Terezi to pause.

Then...

He exploded.

"HOW DO I KNOW THIS ISN'T JUST YOU BEING A JEALOUS PIECE OF SHIT?!"

Terezi was taken aback at Karkat's unwillingness to believe her.

"K4RKL3S... 1 KNOW 1T M1GHT B3 H4RD TO B3L13V3 M3, 4FT3R WH4T H4PP3N3D, BUT..."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD OF YOUR HORSESHIT!"

Karkat's voice had been loud to begin with, but now his shouts were rocking the facility.

"ALSO, DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"I'M NOT YOUR FUCKING PET!"

"I HATE YOU, SO PLEASE JUST SHOVE THAT DOWN YOUR PROTEIN CHUTE AND DIE!"

Karkat, still screaming with rage, stomped off.

A mixed sigh of anger and worry floated out from behind Terezi.

She turned.

It was Nepeta.

Karkat's shouts of anger had made the feline worry.

Just like Terezi was.

 _Shit! How much of that did she hear?!_

Luckily for Terezi, not enough, as Nepeta quickly scampered past her.

She did, however, turn back to glare at Terezi.

 _She's a killer, though... Right?_

Nepeta disappeared from view.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Nepeta heard a noise coming from (what she deemed to be) The Hall of Sadness.

(She never really wanted to use a vocabulary on sad things.)

As she walked through the corridors, the sound confirmed what to expect.

 _Karkat..._

Sure enough, there he was.

...

In a puddle of bright, candy red...

Blood.

Nepeta couldn't even gasp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Suddenly, she realized...

 _Oh, wait..._

 _That's not blood!_

Feeling a bit more assured, she padded over to Karkat.

He didn't even look at her.

The light sobbing coming from the troll in front of her deterred her.

As well as the thought of being encouraged by a puddle of tears not being a puddle of blood.

She shook it off, though.

Nepeta pounced over next to Karkat.

She stared at him for a while.

He barely acknowledged her existence.

So she gave him a big hug.

As her cat-jacket flopped over the sobbing troll's shoulders, he had to lift his head up and smile.

Karkat uncharacteristically hugged her back.

Nepeta felt wonderful, knowing how much her dream-troll was opening up to her.

She then thought about Sollux, and what he'd think of all this...

 _Well, Equius is gone..._ Nepeta thought, almost feeling guilty for bringing up such a thing.

She could almost hear Equius grunting in a STRONG manner.

As if he was right nearby...

She shook off the eerie feeling.

 _And I don't think Sollux has a moirail yet..._

Nepeta grinned on the inside, before realizing that Karkat was still sobbing.

She gently moved away from him.

":33 < what's the purroblem?"

Karkat sighed and looked down at his feet.

His voice was so much softer than normal, that Nepeta nearly gagged.

"being a leader..."

"it's hard..."

"and no-one understands..."

Karkat lifted his head, revealing small streams of tears running down in his face.

Nepeta gave him another hug, to comfort him.

He allowed himself to be tucked into her embrace.

Minutes passed.

A voice interrupted their near-peace.

"NEPETA!... WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Nepeta sprung to her feet, grimly glanced back at Karkat, then charged away from the Hall of Sadness.

Karkat couldn't think about what any of that meant.

All he knew was that he was alone.

He was almost through with his self-pity though.

After all, extended moments of self-pity were only for little weakling-shitheads.

Right?

...

well...

...

a little while longer couldn't hurt...


	9. Horrid Diluted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the 2nd to last chapter.
> 
> If the final one is the confrontation...
> 
> That's right.
> 
> Shit's about to get realer than it ever has before.
> 
> Then again, in comparison to canon, this might not seem quite as bad.
> 
> Still pretty sad. :(

_Just keep walking, Sollux..._

Sollux walked by Terezi on his way to the main room, fully confident that Nepeta was behind him.

Luckily for Terezi, right as Sollux left that room, Nepeta walked in.

This was rather unfortunate for Nepeta.

For the second time within the hour, she was scooped up into Vriska's web.

Terezi approached from the shadows, beating her cane against her palm.

 _Again?!_

Nepeta's eyebrows furrowed in anger. Hadn't Terezi apologized for this last time?

Terezi noticed the feline-girl's reaction.

 _She doesn't get it, does she?_

Terezi tapped the cane even harder against her palm.

Nepeta remembered the knife contained within, and shuddered with unease.

She tried to claw her way out, but found that she could not.

Terezi wasn't roleplaying.

"1'M SORRY N3P3T4."

"BUT 1T'S B3COM3 CL34R TO M3 WHO YOU 4R3."

":33 < Nepeta Leijion?"

"N3P3T4!"

Terezi's tone further enforced her solemness upon Nepeta.

"YOU H4V3 COM3 UND3R SUSP1C1ON OF TH3 L4W... M41NLY M3."

"YOU'R3 TH3 K1LL3R, 4R3N'T YOU?"

The words stung in a way they shouldn't have.

">:3( what?! No! I've had purrfect behavior! I purromise!"

"TH3N 3XPL41N HOW YOU K33P UPD4T1NG YOUR SH1PP1NG W4LL, WH3N 4LL TH3 P41NT 1S GON3!"

"TH3R3 H4SN'T B33N 4NY P41NT FOR SOM3 TIM3 NOW!"

Terezi shook the guilt out of her head. Even when the lie isn't nearly as big of a deal...

":33 < wh-...wh-...what?"

 _She's cracking..._

"YOU'V3 B33N US1NG TH31R BLOOD TH3 WHOL3 T1M3, H4V3N'T YOU?!"

Nepeta was speechless.

"YOUR H4B1T H4S GOTT3N W4Y OUT OF H4ND!

K1LL1NG FOR YOUR SH1PP1NG W4LL'S M4T3R14L... 1T'S..."

"<:33 < no, wait! Please!"

Nepeta was anxious. She sounded desperate.

":33 < okay! yes! I n33ded the blood!"

Nepeta quickly covered her mouth, but Terezi jumped at the words!

"1 KN3W 1T!"

":33 < no, wait! just pawse for a second!"

Terezi did so grudgingly.

":33 < i used the blood, but i didn't want to hurt anybody!"

Terezi snorted.

"4 L1K3LY STORY... NOT!"

Nepeta began to cry... Not over the chance of dying by execution, but over the misunderstanding...

":33 < i'm innocent! I pawromise!... at least, i think so..."

As the emerald-flavored tears began to fall, Terezi softened.

"N3P3T4... LOOK, 1'M SUR3 TH4T 1F YOU'R3 1NNOC3NT, W3 W1LL F1ND OUT, 4ND..."

Terezi swallowed back the traditions inside her that wanted to say the contrary.

"W3 C4N S3T YOU FR33 AFT3RW4RDS, OK4Y?"

Nepeta nodded, tears still falling down her neck.

Terezi sighed.

"HOLD ON FOR 4 MOM3NT, 1 H4V3 TO GO G3T SOLLUX 4ND TH3 OTH3RS..."

The sound of Sollux's name caused Nepeta to instinctively jostle about.

Terezi peeked back in.

 _I think the net'll hold..._

Terezi ducked out of the room.

...

 

 _noooooo! I need to tell him!_

Nepeta started thrashing about again, but stopped.

Terezi had only been gone for about 10 seconds. It would be a short while until the others came back.

 _why do I feel so scared... I can ask Sollux about being moirails after..._

 _then again... would he even be okay with that?_

 _Who's the better half?_

She pondered these thoughts. A minute passed.

 _Terezi's been gone too long!... euh...._

Nepeta tried to shake the thoughts from her head.

She decided to make generally melodic noises from her protein chute, termed "humming" by the humans.

She could only think of one song, though... Something she had seen the John human listening to, when she had decided to view his early timeline on a whim...

 _i don't wanna close my eyes..._

Something in the shadows moved.

 _i don't wanna fall asleep..._

She was distracted.

For once, Nepeta's cat-like instincts were negated.

 _cause i mi-_

A shine got Nepeta's attention.

She saw her reflection in the blade swiftly approaching her throat.

She gasped at the holder of the deadly weapon...

But could not.

She couldn't make any noise at all.

Against her will, she had fallen asleep.

In the worst way.

 

"YOU DID WHAT?!?"

"look kk, ii thiink that Terezii knowth what she ith doiing..."

"WHAT THE FUCK?!? YOU JUST KILLED ERIDAN OVER THIS, AND NOW YOU THINK THAT TEREZI'S RIGHT ABOU-..."

"kark, ii'm pretty thure iit wathn't nepeta. ii care about her jutht ath much as you apparently do..."

Karkat glared at Sollux with the angriest and most serious face he could muster.

Sollux had to force himself to not laugh.

"JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY SO I CAN KEEP HER NASTY FUCKING JOINTS OFF OF NEPETA!"

Karkat took one angry stomp towards the transportalizer, but Sollux quickly stood in his way.

"can't do that, kk..."

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!"

"iif you come to thave the day, then iit..."

Terezi transportalized in, startling Karkat.

Terezi tapped Sollux on the shoulder, whispered in his ear, then led him through the transportalizer.

Karkat would've followed, but a sight stopped him:

Tavros was making the most ridiculous mockery face...

Of course, since it was Tavros, it wasn't even remotely hilarious.

But still.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, NITRAM?"

Vriska had been discussing something with Gamzee (she had apparently run out of conversational trolls...), but she then whipped around to face Tavros.

"Yeeeeeeees Tavros... What were you doing, hmm?

"uHH..."

Suddenly, Vriska was grabbing Tavros by the shirt and spitting in his face!

"YOU WERE MAKING FUN OF ME, WEREN'T YOU, PUPA?!??!"

Tavros's eyes were widening and contracting with fear.

Though not as much as usual, Karkat noted.

 _Maybe the spineless fuckass is actually standing up for himself..._

As Vriska continued to scream, into the fight came...

"We AlL nEeD tO mOtHeRfUcKiNg CaLm DoWn In ThIs MoThErFuCker..."

Vriska unceremoniously dropped Tavros to the floor.

She turned around. Slowly.

Karkat shuddered.

"Yoooooooou..."

Karkat absconded the fuck out of there.

He quick-walked towards where he thought Terezi might be with Nepeta.

His thoughts were kind of blurry, still trying to sort out what had just happened back there, what was going on...

Suddenly, Sollux walked up to him.

He looked cold. Almost sad, but no...

As if he was done being sad.

"hey kk..."

Before Karkat could respond...

He had an imprint of Sollux's fist implanted into his face.

"WHAT THE..."

Instinctively, Karkat pulled out his sickle.

The distinctive touch of the clawsickle made it easily identifiable.

But before Karkat's vision had even cleared, it was gone.

His vision cleared.

The high level psionic standing in front of him was wielding it menacingly.

Terezi and Nepeta were nowhere to be seen.

"iit's been too much... too poiintless..."

"WHAT THE FUCK'S GOTTEN INTO YOU?"

"you have no iidea what ii've had to go through..."

"I'M THE LEADER, DUMP-ASS! YOU REALLY THINK THESE DEATHS HAVEN'T BEEN HURTING ME?!"

"nepeta'th dead."

The words caught Karkat.

He stood motionless.

He couldn't move even if he wanted to.

Not that he did.

"W-W-w...what?"

Sollux was looking at Karkat in the eye. He was more than serious.

But then, his face began to wander...

"aradiia... feferii... nepeta..."

Sollux turned to Karkat and SCREAMED

"WHY THE FUCK DO THEY ALL HAVE TO DIIE?!"

"WHY?!"

"EVERY. FUCKING. TROLL. I HAVE EVER LOVED..."

"GONE!"

Sollux took a menacing step towards Karkat.

Karkat struggled to bring out any words.

"B-...W-...DON'T BLAME ME FOR THIS!... p-...please..."

Karkat was cowering.

His existence was coming to an end...

But no.

What Sollux did next was worse.

He brought the clawsickle up to his own throat.

Before Karkat could realize what was going on...

He slit.

Dark-gold blood spewed from his protein-chute like a sprinkler.

It drenched the floor in a horrifying semi-circle.

"sh-...sh-...shit

FUCK...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOO!"

Karkat fell to his knees.

Sollux closed his eyes, let his face go limp, and tried to look peaceful for his former friend.

Karkat just sat and stared.

Tears came pouring down his face.

He could've cared less about color.

There were much more important things to worry about...

But the most important, Karkat was ignoring...

From behind him came a lurker.

A knife glowed with a half-rainbow of colors.

Karkat knew it was coming.

But in those moments of potential saving, he could not defend himself.

The only weapon, his sickle...

It was dripping.

Dripping with the horrid diluted gold liquid that had haunted him in some form for some time...

But that time...

Was over.

Terezi was the first to see him again.

He was lying atop his former friend,

his candy-red blood mixing with the diluted gold...

The mixture curled around the edges of the corpses...

Terezi could only stare.

...

...

 

She understood.

It all made sense.

She knew who it was.

It had been avoiding Terezi all this time, but now...

It all made sense.

Perfect sense.

She almost berated herself for not thinking of it earlier...

But no.

She had business to take care of.

She made sure her trusty cane was with her.

Then she walked.

STOMP. STOMP.

And with a dramatic finger-point, she busted open the respiteblock door of the killer and SCREAMED

"TH3 L4W 1S H3R3!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kill off the trolls I love.
> 
> For entertainment.
> 
> What is wrong with me...


	10. Sacrifices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terezi has arrived where she believes the killer's respiteblock is.
> 
> Also,
> 
> This is the finale.
> 
> That's why the first line is so far down the page.
> 
> I don't want to give anything away.
> 
> hehehe...

.

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.........

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"T4VROS N1TR4M, YOUR K1LL1NG D4YS 4R3 UP!"

Tavros whirled around from the computer he had taken to his respiteblock.

"M4YB3 1 SHOULD'V3 3XP3CT3D TH4T TH3 ON3 WHO W4S 4LW4Y-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Terezi jolted to a stop.

She quickly grew annoyed that he would interrupt.

After all, she was giving her crime-solving speech!

 _Oh, of course... Criminals don't like having their flaws pointed out to them..._

"I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOU, ALWAYS PUSHING ME AROUND!"

Terezi wanted to correct him; to tell him that that was more of Vriska's thing...

But she was too stunned by his sudden confidence.

"I'M TIRED OF ALL OF YOU PUSHING ME AROUND! I'M NOT JUST, uHH..."

Tavros faltered a bit.

Terezi realized that he had been glaring at her within a few feet of her face... Or at least, he _had_ been doing so.

Now he was stepping away, as he seemed to slip back into his usual, faltering voice...

"wELL, uHH... yOU KNOW HOW ANNOYING IT IS OR IS NOT, oR, uHH..."

Tavros seemed to be confusing himself. He stepped back towards his computer.

Terezi remembered what she was there for.

"YOU 4R3 UND3R 4RR3ST, M1ST3R N1TR4M!"

Producing a length of rope, Terezi approached Tavros to bind his hands.

Tavros growled.

"TEREZI, YOU MORON! I'M NOT THE, uHH... tHE... tHE KILLER! oKAY! I'M NOT THE KILLER! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF ALL THIS BULLSHIT THAT YOU ALL KEEP FORCING ON ME!"

As Terezi approached Tavros, seemingly undettered, she also produced her cane from her Strife Specibus.

"DON'T M4K3 TH1S D1FF1CULT, M1ST3R N1TR4M! H3H3H3H3H3..."

Tavros quickly pulled out his lance.

Then...

Skewered air.

A crunch.

A shatter.

Something sparkled.

As it went through Terezi's midsection.

It burst from her black shirt, immediately ejecting a single shred of cloth.

As the knife went through her, her eyes went wide.

With understanding. With fear.

And then, with acceptance.

She fell to the floor, her teal blooding spewing all over the drab, yet otherwise clean floor.

She landed on her stomach, the blood slowly spreading over her clothes, curling around the edges of her corpse.

The knife withdrew.

Tavros stared at the hole going halfway through her body. It looked like a vat of her teal blood, with other colors from the knife slowly mixing in.

 _Kanaya......... Nepeta......... Karkat......... Equius........._

"Ready to add yours to the mix?"

Tavros followed the dripping knife up to its holder.

He tried to gasp, but could only stare.

The voice sounded familiar...

 _Those eyes..._

The figure emerged from the shadows.

Tavros continued to stare.

"Hello, 'Motherfucker.'"

As a drop of mixed-blood hit the floor with an ominous splatter, Gamzee grinned.

"Are you ready to die?"

He began to laugh. Horribly.

His face contorted with the success of a 9th troll dead, and a 10th just waiting to die.

"Well, I'm ready.

To watch you suffer.

To WATCH.

YOU.

DIE!!!

Gamzee laughed maniacally.

Tavros noticed the arm of Gamzee's that had been cut off by the killer.

 _uh... was that just a ruse?_

Gamzee slashed the air with the knife, getting ever closer to Tavros.

 _The lance!_

It was still there. The grip was still cool in his hands.

Tavros lunged towards Gamzee.

The lance was sliced into two, leaving marks of blood over the open ends.

Tavros fell down.

 _NO! Uhh..._

 _Come on legs... Don't..._

 _Don't fail on me..._

They failed on him. He was trapped on the ground, with nowhere to go.

Gamzee stood over him.

"I guess I'm a bit sorry over letting this drag on for so long..."

Gamzee brought the knife down into Tavros's arm.

He let out a scream, his entire body convulsing violently.

Gamzee stomped down on Tavros's face, barely muffling the cries.

"But then again, I guess I'm not."

Gamzee let an evil smirk come upon his face before...

He froze.

Gamzee stood upright, clutching his face.

He dropped the knife and began to shake.

He flailed around, clutching his body, before collapsing to the ground.

Tavros was...

Just...

Confused.

And terrified.

Never more so in his entire life.

But...

 _Is that... Am I... safe?_

Gamzee had fallen out of the respiteblock, so that only his lower half remained in the room.

His legs did not move, as a figure walked into the room, grinning. Clutching the knife.

Tavros gasped. He was unmistakable.

It was Jack.

 _The demon!_

Jack laughed.

"I..."

Suddenly...

A feeling of deja vu hit him. He began clutching at himself, seemingly choking on something.

Tavros looked towards to the door hopefully.

But no help had arrived.

A transformation took place as Tavros watched with wide eyes.

The ears, the sword, the wings... Everything...

Sort of...

Came in.

A blinding white glow began to grow around the demon, until he finally stepped out, his unwanted transformation complete.

Tavros gasped.

 _Is... Is that..._

A Prospitan dreamer stood before him. She seemed familiar.

"j...j...jADE?

She laughed.

"well, well... it looks as if this girl knows a bit more than i suspected..."

Jade lifted out her right leg.

"it's not optimal, but it will have to do..."

"jADE! sNAP...sNAP OUT OF... iT..."

Then Tavros realized.

 _This isn't Jade... This is Jack... Something... Something must've happened._

Jack/Jade cackled.

"i am not the human known as jade!"

"if i were, i'd be dead. now."

"no..."

"i am your worst nightmare, Tavros."

"this form I have taken came from an unfortunate rule that I had broken, thus inflicting this body on me."

"but no matter..."

Jack/Jade picked the bloody knife off of the floor, still coated with a fresh brown tinge.

"you are still..."

Suddenly, she looked out the window.

It wasn't really a window, but it did allow Tavros to look outside his respiteblock, and into the void.

She looked.

Pondering thoughts came to her mind.

About stars.

All the while, a voice inside her head screamed at her:

 _KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM THIS INSTANT! DON'T FOOL AROUND WITH YOUR RANDOM THOUGHTS!_

But no.

A figure was fading into her view.

A troll girl with long hair, dead eyes, and a red symbol on her shirt.

She seemed to be leading a trail of bulbs.

They vanished.

 _NOW! JUST DO IT! KILL HIM NOW!_

But... No...

Jack could not.

Something was gripping him even harder, even though all of interest had left the window.

He felt forced. Forced to gaze out into the void, and ponder. The body he was in seemed to enjoy such a thing.

So deep was his pondering, that he did not hear a faint clatter behind him.

Several faint clatters.

Eight of them, to be exact.

The knife came up from Jack/Jade's hand.

It spun around, whipping tiny particles of blood all over one of the blank walls.

It violently went forth into her head.

The knife, handle and all, came all the way through the head of the demon-girl, spraying disgusting amounts of internal tissue.

She fell to the floor.

She was slain.

No.

Jack was slain.

A figure picked up the dice. Tavros already knew who it was.

"Heeeeeeeey Pupa..."

He could feel his legs starting to work again.

Vriska crouched down next to Tavros.

 _Did she even notice the bodies on the floor?!_

"uHH..."

"Looks like I s8ved your sorry little ass today, didn't I?"

Vriska chuckled, not noticing Tavros shakily getting up to his feet.

Vriska stood up, and grinned evilly at Tavros.

"My plan worked out... But it aaaaaaaalways does, doesn't it, Pu-"

He shoved her out of the way.

Tavros stormed out of the room.

Vriska could only gape in astonishment.

She then fully took in the bodies lying around her, cringing a bit at the blood and brains...

A blue tear began sliding its way down her face.

Her plan did get the end result.

But now the sacrifices didn't seem so small...

A flicker of movement caught Vriska's eye.

She looked out the window.

 _Aradia?_

The girl was a ghost. A dark-red ghost floating right outside.

She moved. A message was produced.

 **F0RGIVEN**

Vriska wanted to fight the feeling of relief, but it cautiously creeped in on her. Her minuscule conscience began to feel better.

And then the final character was produced.

 **F0RGIVEN _?_**

That was all Vriska could think about, as Aradia's ghost vanished from sight.

A few moments later, she snapped back to the situation at hand.

But, for once,

she had no idea where to start...


End file.
